I am responsible for growing income and ensuring the CSF brand is recognised as ‘Best in Class’ for specialist funding.

This means I must ensure we have strong sales opportunities with directly authorised advisers, appointed representatives and professional introducers throughout the UK, then be able to design and execute an effective contact and communication plan.

Was it a sharp learning curve joining a specialist distributor from an insurance firm?

Not at all. I’ve worked in financial services for more than 25 years and much of that time has been spent serving UK advisers with products and services.

I previously spent more than 10 years at Platform Home Loans and led the sales function during the difficult 2008-10 period, so I feel very well equipped to navigate CSF through the current challenges and the various cycles our marketplace will always encounter.

The mortgage industry suffered considerably as a result of restrictions in place due to Covid-19. What do you believe are the main lessons to take from the fallout of lockdown?

I’ve worked through four extremely tough periods where usually an event caused the sector to be destabilised: the early and late 1990s, 2008 and now 2020. Without wishing to be a doomsday soothsayer, something else [equally challenging] will happen in the future. So I urge our sector to keep learning as we continue through this latest challenge.

Although I’m optimistic about some aspects of 2020/21, I believe we are still some way short of this Covid situation being resolved. I’d therefore recommend business owners draw up 15-month business plans now, with three best-/middle-/worst-case scenarios.

The results are likely to fall in the middle and, being positive, during my professional life we have never reached the worst-case ‘Ground Zero’ results. This is largely due to the fact that we operate in an extremely resilient UK marketplace where people will always need homes and/or finance, and innovation (with perspiration) gets stuff done.

What message would you like to send to the sector about CSF as a distributor?

We are experts in all things finance but excel at delivering bridging, commercial, development and complex buy-to-let solutions.

We truly believe that difficult cases can be made simple, and we press our lending partners hard so future solutions can be created where previous gaps were evident.

What is the best part of your job?

My job feels like a hobby and I look forward to every day.

I most enjoy developing good processes and good people by introducing tried-and-tested best practices.

If you had not chosen this career path, what other professions appeal to you?

I spent some time as a professional footballer and would have loved to be injury free (and have a dose more ability) to play longer and at a higher level.

You cannot beat the unpredictability of sport, nor the camaraderie created within a winning team environment.

If you were chancellor for a day, what would you prioritise?

I really believe the current incumbent, Rishi Sunak, has been a beacon of light within a beleaguered government during the past six months.

If I could request anything it would be to extend the stamp duty holiday beyond the March 2021 deadline. We will need to keep momentum flowing throughout 2021.

Do you have any secret talents?

I can do more than 1,000 ‘keepy-ups’ with a football.

Who is your all-time hero, and why?

European Cup-winning football manager Brian Clough.

He achieved incredible success, inspired his people to exceed their potential, kept messages simple and did things his way.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Have no regrets and leave everything out there!